1. I am considering 2 guns: Thompson, Triumph.....or....Knight,KRB. The knight is a lot less expensive and it seems to me that the guns in effect are very similar. Which would you choose and please qualify why?

Both are great guns and backed by great companies. Both are going to be excellent shooters. If conicals were in your future for say some out west hunting in Colorado where it is conical only.. then the Knight KRB would be the choice.

Since you are going to scope them, they are both going to shoot a sabot load about equal. ALTHOUGH.. I have read some very impressive reports of the Triumph and its handling of Blackhorn 209 and some of the groups it is printing are just hard to believe for a muzzleloader. I am sure that once Knight redesigns the breech plug for the KRB it too will be a Blackhorn 209 shooting rifle. And I would not purchase the rifle solely on the fact of it will shoot one brand of powder better. We got along for countless years without Blackhorn and I suspect many of us will survive countless more not shooting it. Just for the nostalgia, I would take the KRB.

Something else to consider is your body build and the fit of the stock. The Knights, you tend to lay flatter to the stock and barrel. So for that reason, since the rifles are equal pretty much. Get out to a store and handle both of them. See how they fit you. See how they shoulder and balance for you. Then really sit down and look at them. Which one makes you smile the most. That's the one for you.

2. I like my Trijicon TR22 scope. I am thinking of mounting one of these on the rifle I buy. Do BP rifles have that much more of a kick than say a 30-06?

Black powder rifles recoil is based on what kind of charge you are shooting, and the weight of the rifle. The Triumph is a light rifle. So it makes sense that there should be more recoil. Having not shot either, I can not say. Do they have more of a kick.. more of a push I might think. I have been scope kissed on the brim of the hat by my muzzleloaders. But that normally is entirely my fault because I get lax with my address of the rifle and it then reminds me to pay attention. Even a center fire will do that. So I do not think they kick anymore then the other. I do like 3.5-4 inches of eye relief on my rifles..

3. There seems to be a lot of back and forth between 100 grains and 150 grains. If 100 grains does the job then what benefit would I derive from 150 grains? Flatter shooting? More kenetic enrgy? etc.

I sometimes think the design of the magnum muzzleloader was the worst thing they ever did to the sport. We killed deer, elk, bear, you name it we shot it, with 80 grains of powder long before a 150 grain magnum rifle came on the market. Of course 100 grains will get the job done. 150 grains on the other hand for extreme long shots at LARGE elk type game might be a benefit. Although if I ever hunt elk it will be with 100 grains of 3f powder and a 500 grain conical bullet. So with the right bullet, and more powder ... (IF YOUR RIFLE EVEN LIKES MAGNUM LOADS... ) you will have a flatter shooting projectile. Instead, take the two charges. What ever shoots more accurate and you can place that shot. That is the charge I would use. I would then select the right bullet for the job. After that all you need is a knife for field dressing.

4. There are so many bullets out there to choose from but I just want to get the same performance that I get from my Hornady ammo in my 30-06. Is this possible or do the BP guns just punch a hole and go on through. On that note why do BP guns use such huge ammo? Would not a smaller, lighter, yet faster flying round be favorable?

Black powder projectiles you will soon discover really lay a world of smack on what they hit. When shooting sabots, you normally get excellent expansion, deep large wounds and even a pass through is not uncommon. They do not just punch a hole and go through. Even a roundball expands and makes a nasty wound channel.

As to which is better, the light fast expanding sabot or the large conical.. there are two schools of thought there. A lot of people like the sabot. For longer ranges they might have an advantage, but really once you have your rifle sighted in and practice, the only real difference is how fast your projectile will get to the target and will it have a rainbow trajectory. I personally like the large conicals, but also shoot a lot of sabots. Either of them are going to work, and make great wound channels.

5. Any other BP rifles out there that you feel I overlooked? Money is not really an issue in purchase but I would like to keep it under 2000 dollars for the complete set up.

Well depending on the laws of your state, whether smokeless powder is legal, there is the Savage ML-10 which is a hard rifle to beat anywhere. There are some of the custom rifles like the Bad Bull, or some of them that really throw some powder down range. There is the Knight Master Hunter Disc Extreme or Elite. There is the Omega made by Thompson Center.

If you want to shoot conicals, load easy, little swabbing of the bore, and just a sweet rifle, there is the White Super 91-II in .504 caliber that will shoot conicals better then probably 99% of all rifles out there. It will shoot sabots just as well. While the company is not in business anymore, they are made like tanks, and there are parts for them out there. Those (like me) that own Whites are kind of prejudice about them. If you ever shoot them, your sold. Also for long range White makes a .451 caliber that shoots a 488 grain conical downrange with extreme accuracy.

A word of warning.. muzzleloaders are habit forming. You start shooting them and soon you will be posting about the Hawkins you just bought or the musket you now have, even the black powder shotguns.. Some guys start out with one rifle and next thing you know, they have walls full of them.

Welcome to the sport and the forum. Its great to have you here..